Should Students Have To Wear Uniforms?

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The topic of implementing school uniforms is nothing new. Students have been wearing uniforms since 1222 according to ProCon.org. Still to this day, students in elementary and secondary school are required to wear uniforms in England.

Many countries such as Japan, Australia, and Indonesia also require uniforms. I am in favor of school uniforms. They can help solve problems that students face on a daily basis.

Requiring students to wear school uniforms can help students stay focused on their school work instead of clothes. A report published by the National Association of Secondary School Principals say that, “ When all students are wearing the same outfit, they are less concerned about how they look and how they fit in with their peers; thus, they can concentrate on their schoolwork.”

Studies have shown that when students are required to wear school uniforms their test scores increase. Some people may say that a student’s test scores have nothing to do with what outfit they are wearing, but the University of Houston found that elementary school girls’ English test scores increased by about three percentile points.

Uniforms can also decrease the peer pressure and bullying that is present at most schools. When all the students are dressed alike, the competition between peers will lessen and so will the teasing that some students face for wearing less expensive clothing.

Arminta Jacobson, the Founder and Director of the Center for Parent Education at the University of North Texas, said that uniforms place “all kinds of kids on the same playing field in terms of their appearance. I think it probably gives them a sense of belonging and a feeling of being socially accepted.”

At Greenwood, we are known for our school spirit. Uniforms have been found to help increase the school spirit that students have.

A study conducted by Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom found that uniforms “often directly contribute to a feeling of school pride.” Christopher P. Clouet, Superintendent of the New London, CT school district, also stated that “the wearing of school uniforms contributes to school pride.”

A study of over 1,000 Texas middle school students found that students in uniform “reported significantly more positive perceptions of belonging in their school community than reported by students in the standard dress group.”

Some people may say that uniforms will not help increase the amount of school pride that students feel, but uniforms can help students feel a sense of belonging that comes from wearing the same uniform as everyone else in their school.

Whether or not uniforms should be implemented into schools has been an ongoing argument. I and many people like me are trying to make others realize how uniforms can benefit students and their well being.